Discovering which modern architecture sites matter to people around the world

At World Monuments Fund we are working to discover modern buildings around the world that matter to people and learn about the threats to these buildings. In May 2017 we launched Modern Century, a social media campaign to involve the public in a global discussion about modern architecture and preservation advocacy.

Modern Century started with a gallery of 30 sites submitted by experts, architects, and architecture students from around the world. This gallery inspired architecture enthusiasts, local advocates, and the general public to tell us about modern sites they love, live in, or pass by every day.

Twenty-one new sites were added to the gallery from submissions received via Instagram. Sites were selected according to their architectural, cultural, and historic significance, while considering the quality of the submitted image and the uniqueness of the site. These submissions helped us build a gallery that reflects the diversity of modern architecture around the globe.

Although the submission phase has closed, you can still be a part of Modern Century. Visit the gallery and share your favorite sites with your friends on social media. A selection of these sites will be reviewed by our Advisory Council, which will help WMF plan the next phase of Modern Century, to be announced in the fall of 2017.

Modern Century was made possible thanks to the generous support of Bottega Veneta.

#ModernCentury

From April 26 to May 26, hundreds of architecture enthusiasts shared the modern buildings they care about on Instagram, using the hashtag #moderncentury, and tagging @worldmonumentsfund. We received over 700 submissions from all over the world!

Among all of them, we selected twenty-one sites, which were added to the main Modern Century gallery.

During the submission phase people were also able to vote for their favorite site once per day. Selected sites with the most votes will be forwarded to our Advisory Council for their review. The Advisory Council will then propose an advocacy strategy, a project, or a conservation campaign for one or more of those sites to WMF. The new phase of Modern Century will be announced in the fall of 2017.

Although the submission phase has closed, you can still share your favorite sites on social media and help WMF raise awareness about modern architecture. Use hashtag #moderncentury and tag us on the photos of modern buildings that matter to you!